My Favorite Mistake
by crabby-penguin
Summary: When Nymphadora Tonks shows up at Hogwarts, three years younger than the Marauders, can Remus handle the immediate attraction he feels for her, especially when she so obviously reciprocates it? Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1:1: Cohorts of Voldy

_**Chapter 1: Cohorts of Voldy's**_

**Summary:** Remus Lupin goes to Hogwarts, meets people, gets sorted, yada yada yada.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Remus, James, Sirius, Peter, Dumbledore, the Sorting Hat, Platform 9 ¾…you get the picture. It's all J.K.'s.

**Author Note:** This chapter's a bit slow, just the whole Hogwarts Express scene that is necessary to show how the characters fit together from the beginning (honestly, a similar situation six years into the future would not vary much, emotions-wise.) and the Sorting.

* * *

The first person Remus Lupin saw when he stumbled onto Platform 9 ¾ was a nervous-looking, slightly overweight boy gripping a trunk and a cage for an owl anxiously. He looked awfully frightened, and when he noticed Remus watching him, he jumped and turned pale, and he nearly screamed when the Remus stepped forward and extended his hand.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin. Are you a first year, too?"

The boy nodded. Remus chuckled.

"And…your name is…?"

"P-Peter Pettigrew…" the boy mumbled, cautiously shaking Remus' hand.

"Do you want to go find a compartment? The train's leaving in ten minutes, they're probably filling up."

With Peter trailing after him mutely, Remus boldly climbed aboard the train and slid open the first door his hands came in contact with to reveal two boys, both about the same age as Remus.

"Can we sit here?" Remus stepped forward, revealing a cower-ing Peter.

They nodded, smiling, and one of them, a handsome, tall boy with long, dark hair, spoke.

"I'm Sirius, Sirius Black. This is James Potter." He gestured to the wiry, bespectacled boy with a mop of messy, black hair that was sitting next to him. "You're first years, right?"

Remus nodded, and Peter whimpered. They all turned to stare at him as he trembled in the corner, a terrified look on his face. Sirius laughed.

"Don't worry about us. We don't bite…_usually_."

"Yeah, we're not cohorts of Voldy's or anything," James added, grinning. Peter cracked a small smile, and soon all four boys were doubling over laughing, and they barely noticed when their compart-ment door opened abruptly, to reveal a slight, thin boy with greasy black hair accompanied by a girl with vivid red hair and sparkling eyes. The boy looked darkly at the four inside the compartment while the girl frowned slightly as she took in the scene. Sirius stood suavely and smirked at the unlikely couple.

"Can I help you?" he asked, sneering at the boy and turning his charming gaze on the girl.

"Well, we _were_ looking for a compartment, but I can see you're full already." She turned to leave, but James jumped up and blocked her.

"No, we've got room…for one more, that is. _You're_ welcome to join us," he added hopefully, glaring at the boy over her shoulder.

She scowled at him, and his hopes fell. "No, I don't think that will work. See, there's two of us, and I don't think either of us is cruel enough to abandon the other with company like _this_." She snatched the boy's skinny arm and pulled him away. He struggled against her, looking like he very much wanted to punch James.

Sirius reached over and slammed the door shut, and both boys collapsed once again into their seats, Sirius rolling his eyes, James with a lovestruck smile plastered on his face, which resulted in much laughter and mocking for the rest of the train ride.

* * *

Remus joined them in a boat as they rowed across to the grand castle that was Hogwarts. The only one that had never seen it before was Peter – Remus, James, and Sirius all had quite well connected fathers who had paid the headmaster a visit once or twice. Sirius was quite proud of himself; he had caused the first commotion of the new year by standing in their boat and nearly pushing Peter out.

As the large group of first years stood in the Great Hall while the Sorting Hat sung, it was clear that these four were probably the fastest-formed friends Hogwarts had ever seen, and as they whisper-ed and laughed with each other, they noticed Dumbledore's twinkling eyes fixed on them, and quieted instantly. Remus noticed James not-so-subtly glancing over at the fiery redhead every couple of seconds, and did not fail to mention this to Sirius, who did not let James forget this as a tall, stern woman began calling out names of students. Sirius was one of the first called.

He swaggered forward, and for the first time, Remus saw a serious expression on his face, and wondered what he was thinking of to make him so solemn. Sirius squeezed his eyes shut, as though asking for something, but grinned when the hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

He strode quickly over to the table that had burst out in applause, and Remus anxiously remembered he was next out of his small group of friends.

But before it could be his turn, he heard a female voice squeak suddenly, and he turned, he saw the redhead hurriedly walking towards the hat. James sighed, and Remus heard him whisper, "Lily Evans…_Lily Evans_…" The girl was sorted quickly, as though the hat knew exactly where she belonged.

"GRYFFINDOR!" But to Remus' surprise, she did not look very happy. She walked rapidly to the table, but he saw her direct a small, sad smile towards the boy she had been on the train with. He looked extremely upset, almost on the verge of tears. What house had they wanted, then? Remus thought, puzzled. Had they had expectations before arriving?

When the woman called, "Lupin, Remus," he almost died of anticipation. He vaguely remembered sitting down on the stool and placing the hat on his head. The only thing he thought was _Gryffindor, please…Gryffindor, I need a friend, I want to be with Sirius…_

He nearly fell off the stool when the hat answered, _Hmm... Gryffindor? Is that the best choice? Ah, your friend. Yes, he wanted Gryffindor too. Well then, I suppose if you're sure…_

_Yes,_ Remus thought demandingly, and he couldn't help but smile broadly when the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" from above his head and he hurried off to sit near Sirius, who was talking animatedly now to Lily, who looked quite bored and agitated. As Remus sat, he whacked Sirius on the back of the head, and muttered, "Knock it off."

Sirius scowled, but begrudgingly turned his head towards the front of the hall, where Peter was now running ecstatically and nearly tackled Remus when he leaped into the seat next to him. Lily gave Remus a small smile, but then noticed that James was being sorted now.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily scowled as James swaggered over and collapsed onto the bench next to her, and beamed in her direction. Huffing angrily, she pointedly looked the opposite way.

Her head snapped up, however, when the name "Snape, Severus" was called, and Remus watched as the weedy boy that had accompanied her on the train made his way up to the hat. A second after it touched his hair, the hat screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" and Lily's face was one of true disappointment. However, James smiled triumphantly.

It looked to Remus as though poor Lily Evans was going to be James' first unwilling conquest, however much she despised him.


	2. Chapter 1:2: See, He's Called Fluffy

**_Chapter 1.2: See, He's Called Fluffy..._**

**Summary:** Remus is forced to distance himself from his friends because he thinks he is too dangerous, but they refuse to let him drift away.

**Disclaimer:** All of the characters and other items that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books are NOT MINE. If they were mine, it would be extremely unlikely I would be holed up in my bedroom, writing fan fiction online.

**Author's Note:** This chapter's another necessary one: where the future-Marauders discover Remus' secret (by the way, I found it veryannoying that they weren't Marauders yet, so I had to keep referring to them as the "group of three/four", or the "friends". It really was maddening.) Also, the title of this chapter is based on Remus' line in HBP: "Most people were under the impression I owned a badly behaved rabbit." (get it? The rabbit's name is Fluffy? Giggling, anyone)

Another note (sorry these are so long!) - Chapter 1 takes place during their first year of school, so since these chapter is Chapter 1.2, it's the 2nd chapter about their first year. The next chapter will be their second year, but near the end of their time at Hogwarts, there will be probably seven or eight chapters a year. There's also a Chapter 8, which is the time directly after Hogwarts, and a prologue. Now, not to procrastinate further, let us begin!

* * *

The night of the Sorting was when Remus realized the huge mistake he had made that day. 

_I can't have friends,_ he told himself somberly. _Imagine what it will do to them, what I will do to them. It's unsafe. _

Remus knew that Professor Dumbledore had made special arrangements; his father had brought him here during the summer so that he could show him the special tree and the safe place for his transformations. He knew that, technically, he could keep it all a secret, but it would be very risky, and the chances of them not finding out √ having to share a dormitory with him and all √ were slim. Remus sighed. He should never have let them grow close to him. He was just going to have to ignore them.

In the following months, James, Sirius, and Peter continued to be steadfast in their friendship, and Remus was quickly forgotten. The three boys were undoubtedly the most popular first years at Hogwarts (well, Peter never really contributed much - he was mostly along for the ride). Remus virtually lived in the library, becoming a star in all of his teachers' eyes. He befriended Lily Evans, learning she was a kind, smart girl, but had a tendency to lose her temper when someone bothered her, someone very much like James Potter. Remus never let her get to close to him, though - he feared for her safety, and if she discovered his secret, he feared her rejection.

James often joined Lily's and Remus' study sessions, but he never once opened his books, choosing to study Lily instead. He was polite to Remus, but after a while, refrained from talking to him much because of Remus' indifference. It made Lily very angry whenever James was there, and Remus was often left listening to her rant and rave about the annoying, egotistical, prat.

This was usually quite difficult for Remus, as it typically included him insulting this same prat whose friendship he so longed for. He knew he couldn't have it, but it was so hard to be so unfriendly when around James and Sirius, and even Peter. It was like trying to come clean after a drug addiction. Near impossible.

That was why Remus found himself becoming closer and closer to the three friends, and soon people regarded them as not a trio, but a quartet. Remus was quickly adopted by all three, and no one could clearly define when he had so suddenly joined the numbers of their circle.

It was well known, however, that Remus was the quietest. He was kind to everyone, and he was relatively funny when with his friends, and he always helped anyone who asked with their homework, but he never talked to anyone unless they asked him a direct question first. He preferred not to offer answers in class until a teacher demanded one from him, even though he always earned Gryffindor points when he did speak up. When they thought about it, everyone loved Remus Lupin, but it was rare they did think about him. He blended into the background perfectly, and excelled at being alone, a skill that he had known would be useful ever since he was bitten by Greyback. Remus knew he had no real future - he would never really be of any use to anyone, even if they did agree to hire him.

People hated what he was. It was inevitable, Remus knew. Werewolves were dangerous, frightening, even disgusting to most wizards, and he knew he would be extremely lucky if he managed to find magical employment at all. He often thought, gloomily, that he would probably end up working for a Muggle somewhere, and even there he would hardly be safe from the discrimination of other magical people towards his kind, which he always knew would be present.

This was why he would never tell James, Sirius, or Remus about the monster that controlled him once a month. He couldn't find the courage to approach them. But it turned out that the Gryffindor bravery he was searching for was unnecessary, because his friends knew him better than he thought.

* * *

The end of the year was drawing nearer, and the last full moon of the school year had been a week ago. As Remus was meandering slowly back to the common room one night with his nose in a book after spending the evening in the library, he looked up suddenly when he heard several hushed whispers and feet shuffling. Suddenly, James, Sirius, and Peter appeared before him out of nowhere, and Remus dropped his book and fell back against the wall out of terror. Sirius strode forward confidently and placed his hands on his hips. 

"We want to know you don't want to be friends with us."

Remus blanched, and he stuttered helplessly as James stepped up next to Sirius, dragging Peter along. Nervously, Remus glanced up at the three boys.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

James scoffed. "You know bloody well what we're talking about. You're always too quiet with us. What, don't you like us or something?"

Remus jumped forward, protesting, the polite gentleman he was. "No, no – no, it isn't that, it's just – I have this – this – this _thing _and I can't be friends with you, it's not you, it's me, _really_—"

Sirius cut him off impatiently. "Look, if you want to be friends with us, you've got to tell us. If you don't, we'll just send Evans to get it out of you, but we figured this way's more honest."

"We do like you, you know," James added earnestly. "We want to be your friend. We thought you liked us when we first met you, but now you're all…_distant_, and we didn't know what to do."

Remus had been resolutely staring at his feet, but when he caught the James' eye, he knew he could trust him. Even if they decided not to befriend him, he was positive they would never ridicule him. So he gathered his breath and his audacity, and confidently stated,

"I'm a werewolf."

* * *

Weeks later, as the four were saying goodbyes before they traveled home with their parents, Remus reflected on his anxiety at confessing his secret to his friends and marveled at the things he used to think about James and Sirius and Peter. The way he had worried about their possible rejection, how he had been so frightened of them - it all seemed childish now. 

A few days after he had told them the truth, he had plucked up his courage once again and had met Lily Evans in the library and told her about his condition, as well as (with much persuasion from his friend) how well James had reacted to the news. Lily had been unimpressed with James' attempt to flatter himself, but had been quite angry with Remus for being insecure about his problem.

"It's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," she had declared. "You're a normal person, just with one extra..._misfortune_."

Remus laughed about that now. _Misfortune_. Such a good word to describe it, a typical thing for Lily to say to him. He had not been convinced at her words; he still hated himself for what he was. But it was quite nice to know that she cared enough about him to say that, and for the first time in his life, surrounded by such wonderful people who he never had to lie to again, Remus felt loved.


	3. Chapter 2:1: I Call Him Dwight

**_Chapter 2.1: I Call Him Dwight_**

**Summary:** It is the first full moon since Remus' friends discovered his secret, and they want details!

**Disclaimer:** I own none of the characters, settings, or anything else that you recognize from the Harry Potter series. In other words, I am not J.K. Rowling, and anything you see with her name slapped on it is not mine. Also, I got the title "I Call Him Dwight" from a line from _Psych_, not sure which episode.

**Author's Note:** I almost-accidentally used **_the names_** (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs) but I realized they don't have them yet, they only get them when they become Animagi. Eep!

Also, the book that Remus is reading in the library is from the Nancy Drew series, none of which I have read, but hey, it is an easy read, innit?

And (yet another note – this section's becoming quite long, isn't it?) when I wrote about Remus' transformation, I based it off of the one on the movie. It's really very dramatic.

* * *

Remus opened his eyes one Saturday morning, shortly after the first term had started, and a feeling of dread instantly claimed his body. He groaned and buried his face in his pillow. 

"Rem, what's wrong?" a tired voice inquired from James' bed.

Sighing heavily, Remus rolled over to face him.

"Full moon tonight."

* * *

The day passed by in a slow, burning, torturous feeling for Remus. 

As soon as he was awake enough to sound coherent, Sirius had begun badgering him about his transformation.

"What's it like? Do you remember _anything_?"

Remus rolled his eyes skyward. "No, nothing. I'm like another person. Or, rather, another _animal_."

Sirius knitted his brow. "So, it's like another persona entirely?"

"Yes. Another persona."

"What's he like?"

Remus felt like banging his head on the wall. "He's very friendly. I call him Dwight."

Sirius' curiosity had been present throughout the walk down to the Great Hall, until all three boys had been so fed up with him a battle had begun, the main ammunition being the their breakfasts and others. It wasn't until James had unknowingly stolen Lily Evans' toast to fling at Sirius that they settled down.

"You are _so_ immature, Potter! Why can't you _act your age_!?"

Complete with a very dramatic exit by Lily, the incident took a toll on James, and he muttered angrily for an hour or two afterward, not paying attention to anything his friends said as they strolled around the grounds, only to lounge under their favorite tree faking a relaxed attitude.

After lunch, Remus had met Lily in the library, as he did every day. Instead of chipping away at his homework during these hours like he usually did, he selected an relatively easy read from the Muggle fiction section of the library, and settled into a comfy chair, all set to read about the adventures of a Muggle girl called Nancy, when Lily interrupted him.

"Are you all right, Remus?"

Remus' head snapped up to look at the concerned girl in front of him. "Why do you ask?"

"I checked the star charts in Astronomy; I know it's full moon tonight. Are you going to be okay?"

He scowled. "I'll be fine. I've been doing this for six years, Lily, I've never been seriously hurt. Besides, the Whomping Willow's bound to keep people away, innit?"

Lily frowned slightly, but then turned back to the essay she was so furiously scribbling at minutes before, sighing heavily.

* * *

Remus retired to his dormitory around one, setting a magical alarm for four o'clock. The other members of his dormitory were gone: Sirius and Peter in detention for failing to do their homework and James at Quidditch practice (the new Seeker as of this year). Although his sleep was restless, he knew he would thank himself for this nap tomorrow, when he would be sleeping on his feet. When he woke, he felt nearly as tired as he had before he had slept, but he forced himself to get up and quickly hurry out onto the grounds. 

Several students littered the lawn, lounging in the evening shade. He avoided their eyes as he trudged up the large hill towards the great tree. The entrance, thankfully, was on the opposite side of the tree than the school, so no eyes could find him here. He directed a stick with his wand to fly towards the special knot on the tree, which he had memorized by now, having visited the Shrieking Shack nine times the previous year. He proceeded to jog quickly down the tunnel, and promptly arrived in the familiar, ruined hovel he called home once a month. Carefully, he closed the trapdoor that led out of the shack, and cast a spell to lock it, so his werewolf-self had no chance of getting back to Hogwarts through the underground pathway. Dumble-dore had performed powerful protective spells on the walls of the house, so no matter how broken down they were, no amount of sheer strength could force through them.  
Remus swiftly stripped off his clothes and placed them in a corner; otherwise, when he changed back, he would be forced to walk back to the castle in ripped clothing. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the wall and waited for his transformation to take place.

His eyes snapped open of their own accord. He stretched for the window and spied the moon appearing in the twilit sky as the sun vanished from sight. Remus was vaguely aware that his human mind was slipping into unconsciousness. He closed his eyes, and that part of his brain fell asleep.

Anyone watching would have seen the werewolf's eyes open with a new ferocity, the pupils narrowing as his breathing became labored. His features slowly warped themselves until he was completely unrecognizable and he let out a howl that chilled the bones of any Hogsmeade inhabitants that were still awake.

When the long night was over, and the moon had finally hidden itself, Remus slowly morphed back into a human, naked and shivering. He managed to pull his clothes on and unlock the door with his wand before he set off on the long journey back to Hogwarts.

* * *

It was several hours after Remus fell asleep that he woke up, but it felt like seconds, like he had blinked and the sun had risen suddenly. He felt horrible; his limbs were weak, his head was pounding, and he sported a long gash down his right forearm, which he suspected was a result of having such heavy furniture in the shack. 

He heard a deep sigh from the bed next to him, and he turned and saw James staring sadly at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" he called over, softly as not to wake the others.

James, not startled in the least, rolled his head lazily to face his friend, a depressing smile on his face.

"Lily's ignoring me."

Remus rolled his eyes mentally. James was so infatuated with that girl; he had confessed it to his friends only a week or two ago. Remus was starting to see the severity of this love his friend suffered from. James had, of course, taken an interest in Lily the first time he met her, and had continued on during their first year to constantly try and be around her. His friends had seen it coming, and were not at all surprised when he told them that he fancied her.

Lily, of course, had not been oblivious to this, but she had chose to turn a blind eye, not even glancing at James unless he spoke to her, and then angrily retorting before stomping off. Now, she had decided to coolly pretend that this persistent boy did not exist, and apparently, it was working quite well for her, as James hadn't heard a word from her since their second year began. But even thought Lily was content, James' friends were anything but.

Spending nearly all of your time with someone who was extremely depressed did a number on the group morale, and it was this way that James' moping was contagious, so that Remus found himself feeling saddened quite often, and was starting to prefer being alone as to trying to be cheerful with his friends.

Sirius, on the other hand, was not worried about James' condition. He knew his friend would pull through it eventually, and considered it his job in the meantime to tease and joke around with his friends, usually putting them in better spirits. And then there was Peter, who hardly spoke a word nowadays, as he always did what James did and was commiserating with him instead of attempting to cheer him up.

Lily, on the other hand, was immeasurably joyful. Remus' library meetings with her were starting to be painful as he listened to her and remembered how miserable James was. She had succeeded in putting off the arrogant, annoying boy who was always trailing after her like a puppy, and life had never been better at Hogwarts for her. People started hanging out more with her now that they didn't have to face James down to get any time alone with her, and her grades were steadily rising because of the motivation that fueled her when she did her assignments. The way she saw it, the reason her life had been unpleasant before was because of James. Remus never bothered telling Lily that the reason James' life was worth living before was because of her.


	4. Chapter 2:2: Very Long Title is in Story

**_Chapter 2.2: Memory Loss, Pureblood-Mania, Lily Evans, and James Potter_**

**Summary:** Remus' life as one of the most popular second-years at Hogwarts is far from easy, no matter how relaxed it may seem. But he comes to realize how much he really cares for his friends.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the plot, and even that's got inspiration from J.K.

**Author's Note:** Aww, just a sort of fuzzy Maraudership chapter that really tells you how much Remus cares. How adorable.

By the way: sorry if there's an excessive amount of italics in my stories. I'm somewhat obsessed with them, especially in dialogue.

Sorry it's really short! I mainly included it just for fun…

* * *

Remus Lupin was going to murder the first person that walked down this hallway. 

He was slumped against the wall, across from a broom cupboard where he had spent the last two hours of his life against his will.

In fact, the entire day had passed by in events that occurred against his will.

All in all, Remus Lupin was not to blame for wanting to murder someone.

* * *

Earlier that same day, when Remus had no warning of the wanting-to-kill feeling that someone would invoke later that evening, James Potter had exploded. 

He had been holding in all that depression, moodiness, and anger about Lily Evans for months now, and James had chosen Remus to be the one to rant about her to.

"Why is she so _mean_? What is wrong with her, why doesn't she like anyone? She's like a bloody _ice queen_ and she won't let anyone in!"

He had continued, in a similar fashion, to degrade Lily for at least an hour before Remus thought it was wise to interrupt him.

"Maybe, if you didn't follow her around and annoy her, she'd like you better. Just be her _friend_, and don't stalk her."

To which James had heatedly replied he didn't _stalk _her, and together, the two strode down to the castle grounds where Sirius and Peter were lounging, James angrily talking the whole way. He had promptly gone quiet once they were in earshot of Sirius, probably because of a fear of being made fun of.

Remus' peace had not lasted for long. Lily had been furious when he met her in the library, ranting about "_Potter_, why he thinks he's got the _right_ to talk to me, he's a great _prat _and after leaving me alone for so _long_…" and Remus was forced to pretend to pay mild attention so she wouldn't turn on him too. Hardly any of his work had been completed, and he irritably began his walk back to the common room when the hour was up. He did not, however, get to sink into a soft couch and forget all of everyone else's troubles, which was what he had been planning. No, nearly halfway to the common room, Remus ran into Peter.

Peter was a mess, nearly in tears as he fled down the hallway, but Remus, being a good friend of his, stopped him. He heard snatches of words as Peter mumbled under his breath, things like "failing" and "remember". Sighing heavily, Remus had been far too polite to refuse when Peter pleaded for a tutoring session, and hours passed by in slow torture as Remus tried to help Peter with his concentration and memory difficulties. He had never been much of a teacher, especially when the student had such a strong aversion to learning, so the task was especially difficult.

Peter had hurried off partway through a Defense Against the Dark Arts review, saying he was nearly late for a detention, and Remus had tiredly begun to make his way back to his dormitory so he could take a quick nap before dinner, because he was unusually tired for this time of day. Unfortunately, his trip was once again disrupted when he heard a swear word emit from a broom cupboard, and warily opened it.

Sirius was slouched against the wall, his right fist cradled against his chest as he examined the knuckles carefully. He glanced up as the light suddenly flooded in, and looked away when he recog-nized Remus, who promptly knelt beside his wretched-looking friend. Sirius pointedly looked the other direction, but sighed when Remus refused to move. He glanced up at him cautiously.

"I punched the wall," he admitted, the tips of his ears going slightly red. Remus succeeded in suppressing a laugh, but Sirius was far too skilled in reading his face. He moaned, and Remus found himself listening to another miserable soul let itself out as Sirius angrily described his family, from his wicked, pureblood mother who let everyone know what she was like instantly, to his fifth year cousin, Bellatrix, who was constantly getting into trouble and hanging out with dangerous Slytherins. Finally, he got back to the topic that Remus knew was troubling him most. His little brother, Regulus.

"He just eats up everything they say like it's the bloody _Bible_ or something; he nearly _worships_ my mum and dad, at this rate he's going to be bleeding Death Eater before he graduates Hogwarts!"

At this point, Sirius broke off quickly, and Remus realized he was _crying_. Tentatively, Remus placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. He wasn't very good with emotional people, and he sat there awkwardly until Sirius was presentable enough to leave, which he did rapidly without a backwards glance. Remus collapsed outside the cupboard, and he noticed the evening light streaming through the hallway and the apparent lack of students. He groaned as he glanced at his watch and realized he'd been with Sirius for over two hours. Remus supposed he'd have to go down to the kitchens later that night if he got too hungry.

As he slowly meandered back to the common room, taking his sweet time, a sudden thought hit him that made him stop in his tracks.

_They all told me. **Me**, of all people!_ Remus couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that all of his closest friends had selected him out of the wide variety of friendly Hogwarts students to spill their problems on. True, he shouldn't exactly be _thrilled _that everyone dumped all their troubles on his shoulders and now he'd have to decide what to do with everyone, but the most important thing in his mind was that the _trusted_ him. He'd never had a friend this close to him, who knew what he was, who trusted him before.  
And the funny thing was, Remus found himself trusting them, the first people to have the honor since he had become a werewolf.


	5. Chapter 2:3: Abigail Day is Going to Pay

**_Chapter 2.3: Abigail Day is Going to Pay_**

**Summary:** When a hitherto unnoticeable girl becomes a threat in the popularity contest, Sirius takes action. Of course, it doesn't help that his competition is beautiful, smart, hilarious, and flirty, nor the fact that Sirius' plan to completely humiliate her backfires, creating a feud between the two that shows promise of continuing for years to come.

**Disclaimer:** Aha! Oh ho ho! I DO own something in this chapter! I own Abigail Day (affectionately called Abi in later chapters) and, of course, the plot, which every author owns. But…I don't own any other character/setting/item.

**Author's Note:** I think, from this chapter, it's quite obvious who Sirius will end up with. But no spoilers:)

* * *

"Abigail Day is going to pay!"

This was the first thing Remus heard when he opened his eyes one morning in late April, and when he squinted one eye opened, he groaned when he saw Sirius Black standing at the doorway to their dormitory.

"Sirius. How can you be vowing to get revenge so early in the morning?" James' tired voice floated from his bunk, and Remus murmured in agreement.

But Sirius was not satisfied. He whipped off James' sheets, and yelled, "That_ girl_ is being obnoxious!"

Remus sat up slowly, yawning, and glared at his friend. "Who's being obnoxious again?"

"_Abigail Day!_"

James raised his eyebrows. "Are we supposed to know who this is?"

"**_YES!_**"

"Calm _down_, Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, pulling himself out of bed. "What did this Abigail do anyway?"

Sirius groaned. "She says she's _better _than _me_. Honestly! And she's trying to prove that more people like _her_ than _me_!"

Rolling his eyes, James sighed. "So let me get this straight. She wants to be more popular than you?" Angrily, Sirius nodded. "So how's she going about that, then?"

His friend wrinkled his nose. "She's going to have a vote. Seriously. Isn't that _dumb_? It's such a _stupid_ idea!"

Remus stood. "Did you tell her this?"

His friend glared menacingly. "YES! And do you know what she said? She said I was just afraid I would_ lose_!"

James and Remus exchanged grins. "Well, maybe you are."

After Sirius was settled down, Remus felt it was safe enough to add, "Well, you're going to need campaigning, you know."

Sirius' head snapped up. "I don't need to _campaign_. Everyone'll vote for me anyway!" James raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, but hardly anyone will know you're even in the running if you don't advertise at all. Abigail's probably trying to

hide that she has any competition at all from everyone." Remus agreed eagerly.

Their friend looked up at them, puzzled. "Do you really think so?"

Both boys nodded encouragingly.

Sirius gazed out the window, and Remus could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Then I guess Miss _Abigail Day_ is going to pay!"

* * *

"One…two…three!"

A high-pitched squeal rang around the Great Hall, and all the students and teachers looked up wildly, their hands over their ears, searching for the cause.

Where the ceiling was normally decorated with the blue morning sky at breakfast-time, now, it was an explosion of colors, dizzying to look at. Right in the middle, the ceiling read, "_Vote **Sirius Black**, not Abigail Day!_"

Sirius smiled at his impressive handiwork, admiring the way the other kids were grinning too, and actively discussing with each other at their table. He glanced both ways down the Gryffindor table, finally meeting the eyes of Abigail, who looked livid. He beamed charmingly at her, and then filed out of the hall with the rest of the students, hurrying back to the common room, where he usually spent his free period each morning alone. He sprawled out on the most comfortable couch, closing his eyes and smiling triumphantly.

He had always_ thought_ hitherto that he was alone. That was before Abigail Day had come into his acquaintance. He heard an annoyed hiss, and opened his eyes to see the beautiful girl standing before him, a furious expression on her face.

"_What_ was that for?" she snapped, and he grinned.

"Why, I'm afraid you're going to have to be clearer. I'm not sure I understand."

She stomped her foot, and he smirked. "You _know_ exactly what I'm talking about, you _git_!"

Sirius stood, taking his time. "Sorry, still can't recall. Care to be more specific, sweetheart?" He earned a resounding slap for the nickname, and Abigail was fuming when he looked up at her through his long, dark hair.

"You _cheated_!"

"It's not cheating, love. It's _campaigning_."

"Well, I wasn't _campaigning_, so what gave you the right to?"

He flashed his infamous grin at her. "If you weren't doing_ anything_ to win our little competition, then you'd better get going than, haven't you? I'm bound to have more votes already! You're falling behind!"

Heatedly, she stalked away, leaving Sirius smiling at her, vague ideas already forming in his head.

This was going to be some contest.

* * *

Four boys, huddled under an invisibility cloak, were creeping down the boys' dormitory staircase after midnight, but if anyone had been present, they would have heard them quite clearly. They were still untrained in the practice of being sneaky.

They slipped across the common room and paused by the girls' staircase. All four scanned the room for people who could possibly ruin their plans, and having found none, rid themselves of the cloak. Both James and Sirius were clutching bags tightly tied closed and broomsticks, which they promptly mounted and flew up towards the girls' dormitories. Peter and Remus hurriedly donned the cloak again, and sat against the wall by the staircase. They didn't hear the portrait swing open a miniscule amount. Just wide enough for a slight, twelve-year-old girl to squeeze through.

* * *

Up in the dormitory full of sleeping witches, James and Sirius propped their broomsticks against a wall and began to untie the bags, making sure all the doors and windows were closed.

* * *

Both Remus and Peter were very tired, and were beginning to nod off when the portrait door swung open, revealing a victorious Abigail, followed by harassed-looking McGonagall. Both gasped audibly when Abigail pointed to them, saying, "Two of them stayed around here." 

Pointing her wand at the area, she said, "Reveal yourselves!"

* * *

James and Sirius dropped the bags at the same time, letting them spill open and have dozens of toads hop out, examining their new home, much favorable to their last. Silently, James placed his hand on the doorknob and glanced at Sirius, preparing to dash out as rapidly as possible. But before he could twist the knob, the wooden door pushed out towards him. Both boys barely refrained from screaming when Abigail and McGonagall entered, both looking smug, and Remus and Peter sheepishly glancing at their friends from behind. 

"Well, boys, you can't get out of this one, can you?" McGonagall said proudly. Abigail smirked at Sirius, who looked dumbfounded.

With a quick Vanishing charm from the professor, the toads were gone, and so was all four boys' dignity.

* * *

"Alright, now, just write down a name on a piece of paper and put it in this box!" 

Abigail was all smiles and flirtatiousness today, showing off her long blonde hair and her lovely black eyes as she posed behind the table she had set up on the Hogwarts lawn to collect the votes. Sirius stood behind her, leaning on a tree, scowling. He yanked her backwards towards him by the back of her robes. Sirius was easily able to control the movement of the thin, slender girl.

"Now _that's_ what I call cheating," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled innocently. "Whatever do you mean, Sirius?"

He frowned at her. "I'm not losing this competition because you're teasing all the guys." He promptly strode forward to lean on the table, causing a great number of the girl population at Hogwarts to gather round. He glanced back at Abigail, smirking, who was crossing her arms and smiling incredulously at Sirius' easy flirting.

However coquettish the pair might seem, nobody watching them could know of the complex plans both were developing except for Remus and James. Both boys knew that Sirius Black was in for the ride of his life with Abigail Day.

* * *

**Author's Note (round 2):** Hullo! I just wanted to add I did not cleverly add somewhere who the winner of their little contest is, so don't go looking for it. It is not in this chapter, it is not in the next chapter, and it most likely will never come up again. In a stroke of inspiration, the results of the competition might pop up somewhere, but by then I probably will have no recollection of this chapter. 


	6. Chapter 3:1: James Has an Idea

**_Chapter 3.1: James Has an Idea: Does _**_Chaos Ensue_

**Summary:** James is showing his brilliancy in a most unwanted way – find out everyone's feelings when he starts off their third year with a suggestion of illegal activity. Ah, the life of a Hogwarts student!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own nuttin'. Especially not J.K.'s brilliance (which I would _kill _to have, by the way...)

**Author's Note: **A chapter I absolutely HAD to include. First, I had them make the map before this chapter, but it didn't work out. If you recall, on the map, they use their names (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs) and those names come from their Animagi, so this has to come first, obviously! Toodles, enjoy!

* * *

"Remus! Sirius! Peter!"

A clump of three newly teenaged boys stood under a clock proclaiming that the Hogwarts Express would leave in only twenty minutes. Excitedly, another boy of the same age group ran towards them and the group automatically enveloped him in their circle.

"I've had the absolute _best _idea!"

Remus rolled his eyes at his friend James' antics. He was always thinking up clever ideas for pranks and sneaking around. It looked like he had not changed a bit over the summer.

Sirius was much taller now than he had been last year, and he had, against all predictions, grown even more handsome, which for some was impossible to imagine. He was still anything but mature, and he eagerly began to guess at James' thoughts.

Peter had grown too, both taller and wider, and his face seemed wearier, but he was less withdrawn as he had been, and he spoke up much more often.

As all four boys filed into a compartment, James hurriedly slammed the door shut, turned around, and practically screamed, "_I _am a _genius_!"

Remus grinned. "What have you thought up now?"

The bespectacled boy hopped up and down, and said, "I know how we can help you at your time of month!" Remus' grin was gone now, replaced by a frown.

"If it's illegal or if it involves you getting hurt, I've nixed it," he spoke firmly, and James' smile diminished slightly. Remus sighed heavily, but his friend was not finished with his persuasion.

"Okay, so we'd get in loads of trouble if anyone knew, but we'd be _fine_. Plus, you're not involved at all. The three of us could do it all on our own! We're clever enough without you!" Remus raised his eyebrows. "Alright, so maybe not, but we can read! We'll _study _it, we will!"

Before James had spoken those last few sentences, the compartment door had slammed open to reveal Abigail Day, and when his tirade was over, she commented, "Jeez, Remus. You're really rubbing off on your friends, aren't you?" She grinned at the four who were all looking at her, shocked.

Abigail had grown more than all four boys combined. She was taller – Sirius only had a few inches on her now – and her face and other parts of her had _definitely _matured...and even Remus, who had never really noticed girls before, understood why they all were staring at her, thunderstruck. She looked confused for a moment, than rolled her eyes, understanding.

"Scrape your jaws off the floor, boys. I can nearly hear your hormones cheering."

With this, she was gone, her robes swirling as she stalked down the aisle. Sirius stood to close the door, and in doing so, checked her out from behind. When he turned back to his friends, he grinned.

"Well, Abi's hardly a little girl anymore, is she?"

* * *

The four friends all happily saw that not one part of Hogwarts had changed since they had left it last June, and they took their time gazing about their dormitory, which, of course, meant that jokes concerning their second-year jaunt to the girls' dorm ensued.

But their happy dispositions didn't last long, because James decided that the time was ripe to announce his "brilliant" idea to them. And when he was finished, Remus was sure he wasn't breathing anymore.

"I was reading over the summer ("You? Reading?" "Sirius, _shut up_!") and I came across a _very interesting subject_." He pulled out a relatively new and well-kept book and cracked it open. "Alright. It's this part here…_While there is human transformation, the voluntary transformation of oneself into another creature is the result of the _Animario _spell, which will last until its counter-spell (see Chapter 10: Removing and Modifying Spells). While this spell is in effect, the wizard or witch in question can change control their transformation into an animal of their choice at any time, without a wand. These wizards or witches are called _Animagi."

* * *

"No."

These were Remus' first words after he overcame the immediate surprise when James finished reading the passage.

"What? Why not?" protested James. "It's such a good idea!"

Remus inhaled sharply. "It's illegal. You'd have to register, and there's absolutely no hope of the Ministry of Magic letting _you _three becoming Animagi!"

"So what if it's illegal? We've broken rules before!"

"Never something like this, you idiot! If someone found out, who knows what would happen to us? Do you _want _to land yourself in Azkaban?"

Sirius, who along with Peter had been watching the exchange cautiously, now injected with, "Shut _up_, you two!"

Both boys snapped their heads to stare at their friend, fuming. Sirius was not intimidated.

"First of all, Remus is right. It's _illegal_." Remus smiled triumphantly, while James looked livid. "But what else is wrong with it?" Sirius asked, turning his gaze on Remus.

He froze, searching his head for a response. "It'd – it'd be _dangerous_, you could – you could really get hurt, I mean—"

James cut him off. "We wouldn't be hurt. We could be animals that were strong, or fast, or stealthy, or something. If it got too bad, we could always go through the tunnel back to the school."

All eyes turned to Remus again, who said boldly, "But what'd be the _point_? I don't get it!"

Sirius sighed. "To keep you company! We know you feel lonely, but that's only 'cause no one knows what it's like for you! You shut everyone out. If we were there with you, and we could help you through it, we'd understand you better!"

James added, "And it's not that hard to do. If you helped, it'd be even easier. You really are cleverer than us."

Remus sighed. It _would _be nice to transform in the presence of his friends, because it was true, what Sirius said – he was lonely. Especially after he transformed, he always felt this overwhelming aloneness, and he knew that if James, Sirius, and Peter were there, they'd look after him.

Glancing up at the three boys, so eagerly looking at him, he exhaled heavily. "It would be nice," he admitted.

Leaping at the opportunity, James bounded forward, encouraged by his friend's confession. "And you'd be happier, right?" Remus nodded sadly. "So, who'd suspect _anything _if we did it? I mean, no one thinks that we're all brave and smart enough to do something this drastic. We'd never get in trouble."

Going against all his sense in favor of his sensibility, Remus met James' eyes.

"What was that spell, then? Let's get started."


	7. Chapter 3:2: Transfiguration Skills

**_Chapter 3.2: In Which Transfiguration Skills Come in Handy _**

**Summary:** The only thing James' uncanny proficiency in Transfigur-ation was useful for before was an easy Outstanding on nearly every assignment. Until now, that is. When it ensures the lives of him and his two best friends. Go figure.

**Disclaimer: **Although I totally made up all the information about Animagi in both the last chapter and this one, most everything else belongs to J.K. Except Abi, who I don't think I mention in this chapter…

**Author's Note: **Sorry if you think the spell I made up for Animagi is too easy/unrealistic, but I tried my best. :) Also: _quisling _IS a real word. Look it up, lazy, if you really want to know what it means.

* * *

The library had never been put to better use by Remus than right now.

He spent hours and hours a day, wandering around dusty old tomes in the "Restricted" section (with a note from Professor McGonagall, of course) where they all agreed he was bound to find the best information. James, Sirius, and Peter, all lacking essential skills for frequenting a library, instead stayed back at their dormitory and practiced Transfiguring things, which Remus said might help.

Lily, however, was most definitely _not _told about this – all four boys feared she would report them, and James especially was afraid she would treat him with even more disdain if she knew he was breaking the law. She was most confused with Remus' behavior, and when she inquired after his strange and sudden interest in the restricted books, he told her he was just curious, and McGonagall had let him study some little-known Transfiguration spells in return for extra credit (which was actually true – Remus was always a favorite of the Transfiguration teacher, even though James excelled him by far in the subject).

By the end of a fortnight, Remus had about a dozen books stacked by the end of his bed, and he announced to his friends,

"I think we're ready."

* * *

"Alright…here it is…_Add the Latin name of the animal that the witch or wizard wishes to be able to Transfigure into after the spell _Animario."

"And then here…_The _Animario _spell is very powerful, so be able to master most human Transfiguration skills before attempting this. _We did that, right?"

"Yeah…and this part…_The witch or wizard in question will involuntarily Transfigure into their Animagus form immediately after the spell has been cast. To transform back into the human form, one must concentrate and focus on their human selves, and the ability to Transfigure oneself in a second should come quite naturally. If not, the counter-spell should be performed immediately, if possible._ Scary. If possible…"

"Well, anyway…listen here…_The witch or wizard casting the spell must be positive of the animal that the other witch or wizard in question wishes to be able to Transfigure into and picture it in their mind. Otherwise, even with the Latin name of the creature, there could be a mistake. _Jeez. We're going to end up turning each other into weasels or something."

The Saturday afternoon sun was streaming in their window, and most students were at dinner on this autumn day. Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter were strewn across their dormitory, each with a book in their hands and butterflies in their stomachs. They were reviewing information they had all already learned, in preparation. James was fidgeting with his wand, imagining the task it would have to do later – it had been decided he was best at Transfiguration, so he would take care of Sirius and Peter, but it Remus was in charge of him.

"No more procrastinating, James. You'd better get started," Remus nudged his friend with his foot, and tossed a piece of parchment at his friend, which read, _Sirius: Animario c__anis familiaris, Peter: Animario rattus norvegicus, James: Animario cervidae_. Taking a deep breath, James said, "Sirius. You're first."

"Oh, what am I, your lab rat?" he said, smiling. "In that case, use Peter." Both James and Remus glared at their friend, and he instantly sobered up.

James pointed his wand towards his friend, his hand shaking. He concentrated hard on remembering the whole incantation and focusing on the animal. He pictured a large, bear-like black dog in his mind's eye, which Sirius had described every detail of to him. James cleared his throat, and pronounced, "_Animario __c__anis familiaris_."

Instantly, Sirius' face began to distort until its features resembled a canine, and he fell forward on all fours before his body began growing fur and changing shape rapidly. Within seconds, a completely different creature was standing before them. Peter was about to wet himself, Remus felt so shocked he was numb, and could barely move. James was staring intently at the dog, his best friend, and said, "Sirius. Can you change back?"

The dog growled, clearly frustrated. But soon, the process was reversed, and Sirius was standing, completely intact, with a huge grin on his face.

"It worked! It feels amazing! I can't even tell you—"

James laughed. "Turn into a dog again, then!" Sirius' grin grew wider, if possible, and in an instant, he was a dog again. He bounded around his friends, barking and yelping when James tackled him. Remus smiled at their antics, but was far from being calm when he considered what still had to be done.

In time, Sirius was human and settled on his bed, watching his friends eagerly as James, most of his fear gone, pointed his wand carelessly at Peter. He was not careless with the spell, though – he imagined a small, quick grey rat, and stated, "_Animario rattus norvegicus_."

Peter's terrified face was soon gone, and in his place a scurrying rat, which made scuttling noises as it ran over their toes. Chuckling, Remus bent down and picked Peter up by the fur on his back. He thrashed as his feet no longer met the safety of their wooden floor.

"_Peter_. Calm down. You've got to change back, mate," Remus told his friend carefully. He set down the rat on his bed, and watched as Peter stayed perfectly still, attempting to picture his human self. Despite their friend's obvious lack in studiousness, he was soon very much a person again, a silly smile on his face.

After all congratulations were finished with, James casually nodded to Remus, saying, "You now, mate. It's my turn."

Shaking slightly, Remus' hand dove into his pocket for his wand. As he pointed it towards his friend, feeling like a quisling, he used his strong memory to recall all of the important rules they had reviewed. He wasn't sure whether he spoke the incantation at all; his voice seemed so distant he was not positive it wasn't just in his head. Those worries were soon gone, however, when James was suddenly transformed into a large stag, pushing several stacks of books and a trunk out of the way with his bulk.

All three boys leaned forward eagerly, watching the magnificent creature that was their friend as it struggled visibly. But Transfiguration was James' best subject, naturally, and soon he was fully human again, grinning triumphantly.

James, Peter, and Sirius soon began a vivid conversation, describing the wonderful feeling it was, being another animal. Remus smiled faintly at his friends, wanting to be happy for them. But it was not the first time he had felt left out when he was with the three of them.

_Oh, well,_ Remus thought.

_That's the life a werewolf is doomed for, anyway._


End file.
